This Wednesday, May 31st, the guest speaker Dave Stewart will introduce at the Rotary luncheon meeting at the Lincoln Center will be John Messner, head of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC). Appointed to the full-time commission by Governor Polis in 2020, our speaker leads the COGCC, which has the mission to regulate the production and development of the natural resource of oil and gas in the State of Colorado in a manner that protects public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife resources. Role includes oversight of all oil and gas activities in the State of Colorado including rulemakings, policy development, quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative review processes and acting as a liaison to federal, state and local government agencies and elected officials.
After overcoming a few technical glitches, Tom Iseman (Director of Water Scarcity and Markets for the Global Freshwater Program of the Nature Conservancy) gave us, by Zoom, an interesting and wide-ranging summary of various nature-based approaches to addressing water scarcity, especially in Africa. He started with a brief statistical summary of The Nature Conservancy: some 1 million members, 4000 conservationists, 600 scientists working in some 80 countries and territories around the world focusing on both land acquisition and research into improving water availability and land ecosystems. The overall actions of the Nature Conservancy are focused in three areas: climate; food and water, especially water availability; and land protection, especially terrestrial ecosystems.
For another in our series of Cornerstone Stories, at our May 17 in-person meeting, Dave Stewart introduced and then interviewed Nick Bettis, the Vice President of Marketing & Sales Operations for Loveland-based Lightning eMotors. Mr. Bettis started off with a short video that introduced the firm and showed some of the medium-duty trucks and busses that they manufacture based on GM and Ford chassis. The chassis starting off with existing with internal combustion engine and its associated power train and are electrified to become fully zero emission.
The Community Grants Committee recently awarded to Elizabeth Winn, District Director of Junior Achievement Rocky Mountain, an education program grant. This' $5000 grant will help support JA’s K –12 financial literacy, entrepreneurship and work readiness programs in Poudre School District. The emphasis will be placed on program implementation in schools that have a free and reduced lunch percentage is 40% or higher.
In addition, the Rotary Club of Fort Collins presented Elizabeth Winn a Paul Harris for her outstanding contribution for the betterment of youth in our community.
The Rotary Club of Fort Collins Teacher of the Month for May, 2023 is Laura Beese. Laura is a devoted music teacher at Shepardson Elementary. She keeps the school filled with music through a large multi-class choir and upper-grade rock bands and special attention to her autistic students.
